Lately, in Hillsborough County there has been numerous fatal accidents due to drunk drivers driving on the wrong side of the road. It is alarming and has been in the news more and more, but with most horrible news, you read it and keep scrolling thinking “Wow, that unfortunate…”. That is until it happens to you.

I was born in the middle of 1991,just months before the Orlando Magic drafted one of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen, Center Shaquille O’Neal out of LSU. At the height of their mid-90’s success saw The Magic reach the 1994 NBA Finals, just to be swept by the Houston Rockets. I would say they were one of the most popular and talented teams that never won a title. With Shaq leading the way, The Magic traded Chris Webber to the Golden State Warriors in return for a few 1st round draft picks and also their next super star by the name of Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.
Orlando had key role player such as The Magics first draft pick ever, Nick Anderson who was my favorite player when I was little. The had sharp shooter Dennis Scott, Horace Grant, their current head coach, Scott Skiles among other talented role players. I was only 3 to 5 years old when the Magic were at their best, but I remember all those players and remember being an absolute die hard Orlando Magic fan. I had a Nick Anderson jersey and Shaq’s signature shoes so it was cool to see ESPN shine a light on the guys I idolized as a little kid.
ESPN showed a lot of clips of the players around Downtown Orlando in the 90’s and it made me reminisce on the old days and the huge buzz that surrounded the Magic. It was Orlando’s first professional sports team so the people had something to get excited about besides Disney World. It seemed as though they rose to the top so fast, but they fell even faster. After the 1996 season the Magic lost their super star, Shaq O’Neal to the Los Angeles Lakers and the city was devastated. As an example, my 5 year old self threw away my Shaq shoes and rooted against him until I was much older. Even though I was very young, the memories are vivid and I tip my hat to ESPN for a very well done documentary.

One of the biggest issues with society’s mindset, that I have come to encounter and acknowledge, is that men and women seem to misinterpret the simple act of being kind, as an attempt to get laid. This is profoundly frustrating and mildly stupid. The feminist campaign/poetry duo of Olivia Gatwood and Megan Falley can be credited for describing this issue so perfectly and simply: human decency isn’t foreplay.
I have frequently encountered such “mixed signals” when I give a simple compliment to another boy. The next day, he thinks he can start over- complimenting me and “get close”. Essentially, he thinks he can pop my personal bubble and then proceed to attempt to pop other things. But, no. no dear. It is not that simple and not my way of finding an intimate/sexual partner.
When I’m in those situations, it nearly grosses me out. The miscommunication, uncomfortable behavior I am receiving from this person, the “not even cute”, patronizing comments, etc.
However, I think what is more important to note is that there is something called a “miscommunication” when it comes to this problem. But, there really isn’t. Men are just hormonal as hell, and view women as females with a sexual agenda. Period. It’s backwards and exhausting.
I have learned to thus, not reciprocate these backwards ideals when I encounter them. If I am interested in you, I will not compliment your headphones. If I am worth getting intimate with, it shouldn’t be because I like your shirt. And, if I have a vagina, that does not mean I want your penis inside of it.

A recent earthquake shook a nation as this natural disaster hit the northwestern coast of Ecuador. Ecuador was in a state of emergency after the magnitude-7.8 earthquake flattened buildings and ravaged towns Saturday just before 7 p.m. It the strongest earthquake to hit Ecuador since 1979. Unfortunately, at least 247 people were killed as buildings crashed down, power lines fell over, and roads crumbled beneath their feet. More than 2,500 people were injured in the quake, according to a statement from the government. President Rafael Correa said, “The immediate priority is to rescue people in the rubble, everything can be rebuilt, but lives cannot be recovered, and that’s what hurts the most.” He warned people to be careful to avoid fallen debris and poles and said some areas had lost power. States of emergency were declared for the provinces of Esmeraldas, Los Rios, Manabi, Santa Elena, Guayas and Santo Domingo. The quake was strongly felt in country’s capital of Quito, around 100 miles away. 10,000 military troops and 3,500 police officers have been dispatched to the affected areas, and $600 million in credit was allotted to the emergency. Meanwhile, the Home Ministry said five helicopters and over 80 buses were ferrying 4,000 police to the quake zone, according to NBC Nightly. Men and women are gathered around try aimlessly to find as many survivors as possible before it’s too late.

Vans Shoes is a hugely popular brand of shoes and has been for most of their entire 49 year history. Popularity and brand recognition, however, is not always an indicator or financial success or even high sales numbers. Between 1993 and 2003 it struggled to turn a profit, and by the end of that time, it was losing $30 million a year. Sales had dropped to around $330 million. Some of this slump can be attributed to their brand extension going awry. They dabbled in everything from documentary film-making to skate parks, none of which really helped the company sell more shoes. The company only started to make a change under new ownership.

James Cameron was a surprise guest during Fox’s presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Thursday and the filmmaker had quite an announcement. There will now be four Avatar sequels, rather than the previously announced three, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “We have decided to embark on a truly massive cinematic process,” Cameron said. The reason for the expansion is Cameron felt three films would not be enough to complete the tale. “We began to bump up against the limitations of our art form,” he explained.

The St. Louis Rams gave up their No. 2 draft pick in 2012 to the Washington Redskins. This was a smart choice because the Redskins ended up nabbing Robert Griffin III who flopped after a stellar rookie year and is now no longer a Redskins player. But this year the now (again) Los Angeles Rams have done the opposite of what they did in 2012, they took a No. 1 draft pick from the Tennessee Titans. It doesn’t sound so bad but they gave up so much that it could possibly ruin the franchise. To earn this pick, they had to give up their first round pick (#15), two second round and one third round picks. The Titans will also receive the Rams first round and third round picks for the 2017 draft. The Rams also received a fourth and sixth round pick from the Titans. But they Titans received a much better deal. The Rams are desperate for a good quarterback and are basically willing to possibly destroy a franchise to get one.

The human remains found in plastic bags in a Seattle recycling bin are believed to be from a missing mother of three.

Authorities said the remains, which were found Saturday afternoon, likely belonged to 40-year-old Ingrid Lyne, who reportedly was last seen Friday night before going on a date to a Seattle Mariners game. She was reported missing the following morning after she failed to collect her three daughters from her ex-husband as scheduled. . The medical examiner has yet to officially identify the victim.

Merle Haggard the rugged country music legend has passed on. He died on his 79th birthday from complications of phenomena at his Northern Californian home. The patriotic musician with an outlaw image sold millions of records and recorded over three dozen No. 1 country hits. Immediately after the news of his death had been made public came an outpour of tributes and condolences from the greats of country music and beyond. Twitter was trending with messages about Merle from notable country singers like Charlie Daniels, Carrie Underwood and Merle’s longtime friend Willie Nelson all paying their respects.

Poison gas has been used on Kurdish forces in the city of Aleppo around noon April 7th, it was believed that it was mustard gas that was used on the city. The area hit was the Kurdish held district of Dascatcu. Four people have fallen victim of this attack which has those people hospitalized. The YPG and Kurdish forces do not know who is responsible for the attack but they are assuming that it is one of the rebel groups. This isn’t the first time the city of Aleppo has fallen victim to chemical attack but hopefully the last. It is believed that Saudi Arabia as well as Turkey is partly responsible for supplying these weapons to the rebels which are believed to be ISIS by international whistle blowers.